FAO takes SVG farm training from production to markets 

By S. Browne. Updated 8:35 p.m., Wednesday, September 2, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is broadening its support to farmers in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, placing greater emphasis on markets, value addition and the wider agricultural value chain.

The latest initiative brought 14 members of the Eco-Home Garden Project and Helen’s Daughters to the Dumbarton Agricultural Station on August 29 for training designed to strengthen their understanding of agricultural value chains while improving their technical knowledge of soursop, coconut and passion fruit production.

The session formed part of a wider week of agricultural capacity-building conducted by FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.

While recent FAO training has focused heavily on improving production practices, the latest activity encouraged participants to consider agriculture beyond the farm itself and examine how production decisions can affect access to markets and community livelihoods.

Participants were introduced to the value-chain approach, including considerations such as commodity selection and production planning.

The training also explored how farmers and agricultural organisations can identify and select commodities with greater potential for development by considering factors such as market demand and opportunities for value addition.

Value addition can include activities that increase the usefulness or market value of an agricultural product after it is harvested, creating opportunities for farmers and communities to earn more from what they produce.

The approach represents a broader focus on ensuring that increased agricultural production is connected to viable markets and economic opportunities.

The technical component of the session covered recommended production practices for soursop, coconut and passion fruit.

Participants received information on selecting planting material, crop nutrition, orchard management, pest and disease management and maintaining healthy and productive plants. They also had the opportunity to discuss practical challenges they face in their farms and home gardens and relate the technical information to their own experiences.

The latest training follows a specialised FAO technical mission conducted in SVG from August 24 to 31, which targeted farmers, agricultural extension officers, Ministry personnel and other stakeholders.

That mission, which was part of the FAO Technical Cooperation Programme project, “Building Effective Public-Private Partnerships for Production and Marketing of Sustainable Agricultural Products”, included specialised training in coconut and soursop production.

The earlier training addressed areas including nursery development, orchard establishment, soil and plant nutrition, pest and disease management, harvesting, rehabilitation and Good Agricultural Practices.

It also formed part of efforts to support the revitalisation and competitiveness of SVG’s coconut industry, including the development of technical recommendations for a farmer-led coconut replanting initiative.

The latest activities show that the FAO intervention is not limited to improving how crops are produced, but also considers how farmers can make informed decisions about what they produce and how those products can reach consumers.

The focus on agricultural value chains also builds on work undertaken by FAO in SVG in 2024, when public and private sector stakeholders participated in an exercise to assess six commodities for their potential for further development.

Coconut was among the commodities assessed, while hot pepper was ultimately selected as the second commodity for development under that particular project.

Earlier this week, another 30 farmers and technical staff from the Ministry responsible for agriculture participated in training at the Barrouallie Learning Resource Centre, where coconut and soursop botany, plant growth and development and production were examined in greater depth.

FAO says the activities form part of its continued support for strengthening the capacity of farmers, community organisations and agricultural personnel in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The expanded focus on production, markets and value addition comes as the agricultural sector continues to look at ways of improving productivity while creating stronger economic opportunities for farmers and communities.

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